Precision Agriculture in Crop Production
Advantages and Limitations of Precision Agriculture
Advantages of Precision Agriculture
Precision agriculture advocates the need for precise agricultural input management in an environmentally sensible manner, consistent with the long-term sustainability of production agriculture. Precision agriculture takes into account crop protection, growth monitoring, soil mapping, soil type, soil nutrient level, supply of irrigation and water levels, and their cumulative environmental impact. Precision agriculture enables the use of a precise amount of fertilizer at a precise location and at a precise time to derive maximum yield in the context of different soil types and crop requirements.
Limitations of Precision Agriculture
Despite its potential benefits, precision agriculture also faces some challenges that hinder its adoption and implementation. One of the main challenges is the high cost and complexity of the technologies involved. Acquisition costs for the latest technologies, annual subscription costs for software, maintenance, and operating costs in regard to PA technology adoption can be prohibitive for farmers with limited resources or access to capital. There has been a considerable gap between technology development and user adoption with regard to PA. Some solutions tend to be very complex and not in tune with current demands made by growers.
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